Human Again
by skippu
Summary: A princess who lost everything she possessed; beauty, renown, riches; learns about the one thing she never had from the unlikeliest of people. BatB! Faberry
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this springs completely from zellk on tumblr. her beauty and the beast/faberry fanart is just incredible. check it out! **

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><p><em><em>Chapter 1: Beauty

_Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young princess lived in a shining castle. Although she had everything her heart desired, the princess was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar man came to the castle and offered her a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by his haggardly gaunt appearance, the princess sneered at the gift and turned the old man away._

"_A rose? That's all you have to offer?" The princess scoffed. "Take your rose somewhere else. The likes of you are not welcomed here."_

"_L-likes of me?" He asked, shakily, his voice hoarse. "What- what do you mean, dear princess?"_

"_Have you seen yourself?" The princess almost laughed. "Probably not. Can't afford a mirror, now, can you?"_

_The old man's face lowered. He stared down at his feet. "I- I am but a kind, tired, old man, madam, looking for help; shelter- a place to rest my head-"_

"_Well, I've already told you, you'll find none here."_

"_I urge you to reconsider, princess. This rose is special-"_

"_I told you already: no. Be gone."_

"_You'd turn away a weary old man? You have enough room in your estate, this much I know."_

"_How many times do I have to say it to get it into your thick, ugly skull? No. You aren't welcomed here."_

"_Has no one told you that one should not be deceived by appearances?" The man suddenly sounded younger and bolder. "Beauty comes from within, my dear princess. You should learn this lesson. And soon. I encourage you."_

_But as she dismissed him the final time, closing the castle doors, the old man stuck his foot between the doors to stop her. His ugliness melted away to reveal a handsome sorcerer. His robe was bright red, and flowed freely. His jaw was strong, and his features, chiseled. _

_His lips contorted into a twisted smile._

_Shocked, the princess tried to apologize, knowing very well what warlocks were capable of, "I- I'm sorry, I had no- no idea, sir- I beg of you, forgive me-" _

_But it was too late. The sorcerer had seen that there was no love in her heart, and as punishment, he transformed her into a hideously terrifying beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. _

_Ashamed of her now monstrous form, the beast concealed herself inside her now decaying castle, now, no longer lively or shiny. The walls grayed, and the plants grew rapidly, engulfing the castle in moss and weeds. Everyone who passed feared the place, and no one dared to go inside._

_The beast spent her days pacing the castle, a magic mirror her only window to the outside world. _

_The rose the sorcerer had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until the day of her twenty-first year._

_If she could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. _

_If not, she would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. _

_However, as the years passed, the former princess fell into despair._

_She lost all hope. _

_For who could ever learn to love a beast?_

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><p>It had been exactly three days, two hours and twenty-seven minutes since her fathers' disappearance, and Rachel Berry grew more and more anxious as the seconds passed.<p>

She had heard stories about that dreadful forest that surrounded their little town and she worried, often, when her fathers would announce they would be traveling through it on business. It was only recently her fears had manifested themselves into something very real and very scary.

Finn Hudson, Lima's most eligible bachelor (according to whom, Rachel didn't know) was at her house every second since he had heard the news. He said every girl needed a shoulder to cry on, and that his shoulder, particularly, was perfect for the job. Finn had taken it upon himself to help Rachel find her dads, and by 'help', he just sent his lackey, Puck, to search the forest for clues.

They hadn't heard back from him, either, and again, Rachel feared the worst.

"You look like you're thinking." Finn said, a mild look of contemplativeness on his face. That, or he was hungry. Rachel couldn't tell most of the time.

"Very… astute, Finn." Rachel said, sifting through her box of old books. She borrowed one from the library long ago, about the forest, and she was allowed to keep it. If only she could find it now. Maybe it had some clues to what could have happened to her fathers. She remembered it mentioning something about wolves, and magicians.

What if a magician had turned her fathers into wolves! She gasped, dramatically, at the thought.

When she looked down again into the box, there it was: _Thornebed Forest._ Was that what the forest was called? She flipped it open and read the first few lines:

_'Thornebed Forest, as it's called by the outlining towns, is a forest bred with much guile and mystery. Many stories surround the forest, but very few of them can be proven true. The very name, 'Thornebed' comes from the tale of Viktor Thornebed, a seriel killer, who was said to own much of the land within the forest, and used it as a makeshift graveyard for his many victims. It's still said that the bodies are under about half of the forest's grounds, nameless, and unclaimed…'_

Rachel was pretty sure she was twelve when she read this book.

What a very strange child she was.

"See, girls shouldn't think so much, you know. It makes things difficult for everyone." Finn said. "Especially guys."

Rachel looked at him, incredulously, while he just nodded, scratching his chin, proudly, as though he had just shared the answer to life's mysteries. She just pursed her lips, and nodded along with him because it didn't matter what she would say; Finn Hudson was always right in Finn Hudson's mind.

There was a knock at the door, and Rachel bolted up to answer it, almost tripping over herself. She hoped it was Puck, or better yet, her fathers, but opened it to find…

"Hello, Rachel."

Jesse St. James.

"I heard about your father and Leroy." He said, letting himself in. "Shame."

To the rest of Lima, Hiram was her father, and Leroy sort of an 'uncle' figure. They didn't' know Hiram and Leroy were, well, simply put, _in love_. Growing up, it seemed nothing but normal in Rachel's eyes, but she soon learned that it wasn't normal to the rest of the world. Apparently boys were only supposed to love girls, and girls were supposed to only love boys. It was all very weird to her. She didn't know there were _rules_ to loving people.

In her eyes, it just seemed like such a bizarre thing to make rules for.

So, as she grew, she made sure to keep her fathers' a well kept secret. But they were her fathers, none the less. They both raised her, and she loved them to the moon and back… and then some. She didn't care what the rest of the world thought about them.

"Yes. Shame. Tsk, tsk, tsk." Jesse murmured, circling the small home. Rachel was sure he just liked hearing his own voice most of the time.

She sighed, quietly, and closed the door behind him. She was already having a tough time with Finn, the very last thing she needed was the _other_ boy pining over her for her affection.

"Have you thought about my offer?" He said, turning on his heel to face her.

"Hey, Jesse." Finn said with a wave.

Jesse just shot him a glance before looking back at Rachel.

"Jesse, my dad and Leroy are missing." Rachel said. "Your proposal is the last thing on my mind."

"Wait, he proposed to you?" Finn shot up from his chair. "When?"

"Last week." Jesse said, quickly. "Yes, these are truly tragic times," He nodded. "but nothing brings up the mood of the townsfolk like a beautiful wedding between two people who are very much in love."

"You can't marry him." Finn said. "Um… I…" His eyes darted, rapidly. "Oh! I know!" He bent down on one knee.

"_Oh please no_." Rachel said, under her breath.

"Rachel, will you marry _me?_" He took her hand in his.

"You know how idiotic you look right now, right?" Jesse said, angrily. "You're only proposing to her because _I_ proposed to her."

"I'm proposing to her because I love her." Finn stood up, and faced him. "You only proposed to her because she's the only girl worth marrying in this town. You don't love her."

The door slammed opened, and an out of breath Puck shot through. He keeled over, hands on his knees, before raising his arm and putting his forefinger in the air, signing for them to hold on a moment.

"No…" He said, breathing hard. "Rachel, you should- oh wow, I need to work out more," He took a deep breath, and stood up straight. "You can't marry them, you should marry me."

"Where have you even been!" Rachel exclaimed. "And everyone stop proposing to me!" She stomped her foot, frustrated. "This is getting ridiculous."

The three boys looked at each other, eyebrows raised, before Puck took a step forward.

"Oh well." He put his hands on his hips. "I tried." He half-shrugged. "Phew, that forest is a crazy place, am I right? It's full of… trees and… rocks. Crazy stuff, man. I'm tellin' ya."

"Never been." Jesse said.

"Me neither." Finn added.

"Oh." Puck sucked his teeth. "Well, okay, see you guys-" He turned to leave.

Rachel grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar. "Noah! You tell me what you found and you tell me right now!"

He turned back around, and looked from face to face, nervously. "I… didn't find anything." He said, worriedly. "Just… just their carriage."

Rachel blinked, unbelieving. "Did you… did you bring it back?"

"There wasn't much to bring back." He said. "Wheels were missing… couldn't find the horses either… I had to come back, it was nearing nighttime, and the forest is dangerous at night; wolves, bears, and who knows what else." He placed a hand on her shoulder, noticing Rachel's worried look. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I tried."

Rachel nodded, curtly, holding back tears. She knew it wasn't it his fault, but dammit if she didn't feel like blaming _someone_ right now. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, but stopped herself from crying anymore. She had cried enough this week, and besides, it didn't mean anything. Puck not finding them didn't mean anything. Maybe her fathers' had been taken to the next town or something, for treatment for the crash. They were probably fine.

She breathed out, shakily. Who was she kidding? They weren't fine, and she had no clue where they were or if they were hurt. She just wanted to crawl into a ball and cry her eyes out.

"I'd really like to be alone, now, so if you wouldn't mind…" She said, motioning to her door.

The boys looked at each other before nodding.

"Of course." Jesse said. "If you need anything, I'll be around." He walked out.

"Yeah, me too." Finn said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Anything you need, just ask."

"I'll be on watch tonight. I'll stop by, okay? To check up on you." Puck said, patting her on the back.

And just like that, they were gone.

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><p>Rachel went ahead with her 'crawl into a ball and cry' plan for a good hour or so. It was nearing midnight, and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Again. She felt responsible somehow, and if her fathers were here right now they would say how silly she was being. But they weren't here, and she didn't know when they would be back, <em>if<em> they would be back, and it just made her cry even more.

It was snowing now, and sticking to the ground, it looked like. It didn't snow very often, and if it did, it didn't stay too long. Rachel loved the snow. When she was little, she would spend hours making snow angels and building snowmen with her fathers.

She stared out the little window near her bed, and looked at the snowflakes that got caught on the glass. Snow was always so pretty, especially at night. It could make the ugliest of towns beautiful, and Lima was certainly an ugly town.

It wasn't just the town, but the people. Sometimes, it looked like they weren't _human_. Sometimes it looked like they didn't have sympathy, or cared about anything but themselves. If anything that was 'normal' reared it's head here, it was shut down immediately. Rachel had lost count of how many times she'd voice her hopes and dreams for the future only to be told to 'get her head out of the clouds'.

She'd dreamt of a better place ever since she was little. She dreamt of a city, with interesting people; _real_ people, with _real_ feelings and pretty lights and monuments. She'd always hoped she could get out and find someplace like that.

She let out a frustrated sigh. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't do this. She was trying to distract herself, but she just couldn't. She couldn't take the waiting, or the not knowing.

Her fathers were out there! She knew it. Her fathers were out there and no one was doing anything about it.

She was Rachel Berry, for goodness sake! Her fathers raised her better than this.

She slammed her fists down on her bed, and pulled herself up. She wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeves, and held her head high. She was going to find them, she'd decided. She didn't care how or when or what. She was going to do it.

She pulled her shawl over her head, tying it snuggly under her neck. She grabbed a bag, and stuffed the '_Thornebed Forest'_ book, and her _favorite_ book inside, along with a small loaf of bread she had gotten from the market earlier. She didn't know how long she'd be gone, she just wanted to be prepared.

She put out her fire, quickly, and the house went pitch dark.

She opened her door, and the cold winter air gusted through her home. She pulled it closed, shortly after. She quietly made her way down her steps and into the stables.

Her horse, Belle, as Rachel named her, was one of the things her fathers got her for her birthday this past year. Granted, she asked for a pony, but a horse was just as good, she'd decided.

Belle was a white, Arabian horse her fathers had gotten in return for building something for an Arabian prince. That was just some of the perks of being the daughter of two of the world's greatest inventors. People from all over the world hired her fathers, and often, they were very elaborate with their payment methods. Rachel thought that their fame, and possible fortune could get them out of Lima, but when they were younger, Hiram and Leroy made deals with some shady people. Those people had their claws sunk into the business, and it didn't look like they would be getting out anytime soon. Every time they tried to shake free of them, something bad always happened. The last time, it ended with their old home being 'mysteriously' set ablaze. It's why they now lived in this much smaller home near the exit of the village.

All the more reason to be worried about them, Rachel thought.

Belle wasn't someone's typical sport horse. She often didn't listen, and hated when she was cooped up in the stables. If anything, Rachel felt it gave her character, and appreciated those qualities.

Belle neighed at the sight of Rachel, causing Rachel to jump up, slightly.

"Shhh." Rachel put her fingers to her lips, as she loosened Belle's reign from it's confinement. "We have to be quiet."

Belle hopped from hind leg to hind leg, impatiently. Once she was freed, she almost dashed from the stable, but Rachel held on, tightly.

"Calm down, girl." She whispered. "Calm down." Rachel hopped on, smoothly. She was quite proud of herself for not falling off, like she had every single time she had mounted her horse before. She took it as a sign of good luck. "We're going to find my fathers, Belle." Rachel said, petting her, to calm her down. "We're going to save them." She pulled on Belle's reigns, and leaned forward. "No matter what."

And with that, Belle broke out, hooves buried deep in dirt with each stride, in full speed toward the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: there will be some scenes and lines from the batb movie (and even some glee episodes) but for the most part, it'll follow a very different storyline (_partly_ based off zellk's [hello!] ideas and drawings) to keep things interesting. hope you enjoy.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: The Beast<span>

It broke her heart. Puck had been right and it broke her heart.

She stood, hand clasped to her mouth, sobbing quietly, in the middle of the wreckage. Parts of the carriage were strewn about; wheels were torn and missing. If her fathers had been inside, there was no way they walked away from this, without... she didn't want to think about it. She couldn't think about it.

The carriage almost split down the middle where it impacted the tree.

She walked back over to the road to look for something- _anything_ that could show her if her fathers were okay. She just needed to know they were okay. She stared down at more debris, and held in a shaky breath.

Belle nudged her, nose brushing softly against her cold, tear stained cheek. Rachel wrapped her arms around her neck. "I'm okay." She sniffled. "I'll be okay."

The horse snorts, huffing, as it steps back to give Rachel room to investigate further. Belle really was smart, and scarily humanlike most of the time. Rachel felt a bit uneasy about that.

The gray of morning seeped through the twisted, dead trees. It had only gotten colder, and Rachel's nose was redder for it. She'd been out all night, following the path only to be led to what seemed like a dead end. She couldn't see any footprints leading away from the wreckage; no doubt the result of the new layer of snow that coated the ground from last night.

She kicked some pieces of the carriage out of the way, and bent down to get a closer look. She saw small indents in the snow. It looked like… paw prints; like a large dog- a wolf, maybe. Rachel saw they soon disappeared and were replaced by thick, straight lines. It looked like something being dragged out into the forest, away from the road.

She stood up, and turned slightly to look in that direction.

She froze.

A very large and very furry, black wolf stared right back at her, past the bushes further in the trees. It's eyes were dark, and it was unwavering in its stare.

Was that where the prints came from? Rachel couldn't help but wonder.

She watched as it bowed it's head, almost beckoning her forward. It turned and walked a few steps, before turning back around.

Was it checking to see if she was following? It certainly looked like it.

Rachel took a few steps toward it, and in response, it turned back around and walked some more. Again, it turned to see if Rachel was following.

Rachel shook her head. She was _not_ going to follow a very dark and scary wolf into the forest. That's utterly ridiculous.

The wolf waited, none the less.

"I…" Rachel said, but stopped herself. Was she really about to _talk_ to a wolf?

Belle trudged up behind her, pushing her forward.

"_Excuse you_, Belle?" Rachel turned her head to face her. "You want me to _follow it?"_

Belle didn't respond, obviously, Rachel thought, because she's a _horse,_ but Belle _did_ glance back at the wolf, which prompted Rachel to do the same.

The wolf huffed, almost impatiently.

"You want me to follow you?" Rachel asked the wolf, then immediately shook her head. She was talking to animals. Yes, she was crazy, but she was not _that_ crazy.

Apparently, it wasn't that insane of a move, because she could have sworn the wolf _nodded._

Rachel stared at it a moment longer, before taking a few more steps toward it. Again, it walked some, and looked back.

They repeated this strange tango a couple of more times, before they both found a safe pace, and Rachel was following the wolf, fully, now, with Belle in tow. It didn't take Rachel long to notice that she was nearing a large estate of some sort, up on what looked a hillside. It looked old and worn down, with dead roots clinging to every which surface, and broken windows. It was terrifying, to say the least.

She also noted that this was the beginning of every horror book she'd ever read.

They trudged up the old stone road leading to the castle gates. Rachel breathed, unevenly. She was tired. She hadn't slept correctly in days, only getting a few hours rest here and there, but she hadn't slept _at all_ last night, and she was starting to feel it.

Not to mention she wasn't exactly used to all this physical activity. The most walking she'd done was to the market, which was all the way on the other side of town, and back.

"Did you see my… dad? And his friend?" Rachel asked, as the wolf and her were now standing side by side. By no means did she trust the thing as of yet, but it hadn't tried to eat her, so that had to mean something, she was sure.

The wolf exhaled a breath through it's nose and looked up at her, momentarily.

Before Rachel could ask if that was a yes or a no, they reached the gate, and the wolf slipped into the grounds. Rachel swung the gate open, and it creaked loudly, causing the crows perched on the castle roof to fly away.

Eerie.

Rachel helped Belle through the gate, her hooves making more noise that she'd like on the stone floor. Rachel turned to see that the wolf had already entered the castle.

Rachel placed a kiss to Belle's nose, and whispered. "Stay." Before she ran off to follow the wolf.

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><p>The castle was dark, the only light came from the cracked windows, and not by much considering all of the curtains were drawn. It seemed so strange to have such large windows, and not let the sun in. Rachel guessed it was because the castle was abandoned. It certainly looked like it was.<p>

"Hello?" She called.

The wolf appeared at the top of the stairs, slightly startling her.

"Are my fathers here?" She asked. Her voice was sharp, even more so with it being the only noise besides the whistling of the wind outside.

The wolf only walked away.

She hurriedly followed. "Please, if you could just nod again, or indicate in some way that you understand me-" She said, desperately. "Oh, who am I kidding, you're a wolf."

The wolf suddenly seemed offended at this, and bit down on her skirt to hurry her up.

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "Rude!"

She tried to shoo it away, but it didn't let go, as it dragged her down the hall. There were hollow armored suits lined throughout the halls, and Rachel couldn't fight the distinct feeling that she was being watched. The wolf finally let go, as it ascended stone spiral steps, and Rachel, of course, followed.

"You're not taking me to all your wolf friends so you can eat me, are you?" Rachel asked, somewhat out of breath. How tall could this place be? "Because that wouldn't be very nice, and you're a nice wolf… right?"

The wolf seemed to be ignoring her now, so Rachel only pouted.

They rounded the last step, and Rachel turned to be in… some sort of dungeon. Or were dungeons only in basements? She wasn't an expert in castle rooms, unfortunately.

"What is this place?" Rachel asked, and her voice reverberated off the walls. It was dark, she could barely see her hands if she held them out to her face. She grabbed a dimly lit candle that was mounted on the wall.

"Rachel?"

"Rachel, dear?"

Rachel spun around, immediately recognizing the voices. There they were. Her fathers.

And they were in chains?

They clung to the bars of the their separate cells, each of them, slightly shaking from the cold. Rachel ran, and fell to her knees, sliding toward them.

"Dad! Daddy!"

"Rachel, how did you find us?" Leroy asked, reaching for her.

Rachel grabbed his hand. "Dad, your- your hand is like ice… we have to get you both out of here." Rachel reached up to pull on the lock, but was interrupted.

"Nevermind that!" Hiram shouted. "Rachel, you can't be here, you need to leave!"

"B-but why?" Rachel asked. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm here to rescue you."

"No, sweetie, you can't. You need to leave." Leroy said, nodding. "Your father is right. It's not safe-"

"There's a _monster_ here- and- and-"

"Monster?" Rachel repeated. "Daddy, what are you talking about?"

"That wolf! That wolf knows the monster- and- and the other one! Don't come near us!"

"You stay away from my daughter!"

Rachel turned to face the wolf, who was just a silhouette from where they were. From what she could see, the wolf was sat up still and straight. It didn't seem at all phased.

"The wolf is how I found you." Rachel turned back to her dads. "It led me here… I- I don't understand-"

Suddenly, Rachel was tugged around, and the unexpected movement caused her to drop the candle she was holding into a small puddle of melted snow. The hiss of the fire going out and a low growl was heard, then immediate silence.

Rachel, breathed heavily, chest suddenly tight. She stared up at a terrifyingly large shadow that towered above her.

"What are you doing here?" The shadow spoke. The voice was menacing, and not at all kind. It sounded like a woman, but… more animalistic. The voice had a very frightening edge to it.

"Run, Rachel!" Hiram yelled.

"Who- who are you?" Rachel asked, squinting, hoping her eyes would adjust to the darkness. The only light sprung from a crack in the ceiling, and landed in between her and whoever this large figure was.

"I own this castle." The shadow simply replied.

"I've come for my father and his friend." Rachel said, as bravely as she could. "Your wolf guided me here- and- and please let them out! They're shaking! Can't you see they're sick?"

"They cannot leave."

"But- but why? Please, I'll do anything."

"Rachel no, don't negotiate with this… this _thing_, please you need to go." Leroy pleaded. "Just go."

"There is nothing you can do." The shadow said. "They are _my_ prisoners. I helped them. I saved their life. I decide what happens with them. You have your chance to leave. I suggest you take it."

"There must be something…" Rachel trailed off, looking back at her fathers. They wouldn't survive very long like this. She couldn't just leave them. "Take…" She looked back up at the figure. "Take me instead."

"You… you would take their place?"

"Rachel, no!" Leroy said.

"You don't know what you're doing!" Hiram added.

"If I did, would you let them go?" Rachel asked. Her hands were shaking at this point. It was foolish, absolutely foolish, but what else could she do? Her fathers needed treatment; they were old and sick, and if they stood, they would die. There was no doubt about that.

Rachel didn't have much of a choice.

"Yes, but you- you must promise to stay here forever."

The voice sounded desperate, and Rachel furrowed her brows in confusion. What an… odd request, and also very bold, she thought. She doubted whoever this was could get away with something like this. If she was missing for more than a few days, the town would notice, no doubt like they did with her fathers, and if she had freed her fathers, they would go back and tell everyone about this… thing and the abandoned castle and the smart wolf. They would send a rescue team, or something.

Or would they? They hadn't bothered with her fathers, so why would they bother with her?

Rachel still couldn't see whom she was talking to, and if she was going to promise to stay somewhere "forever", she'd at least need to know with whom.

"Come into the light." Rachel breathed.

Rachel went wide-eyed. First, she saw it's legs; tall, claw-like hooves, it's muscles prominent, and Rachel could see a long tail, swaying slightly, between them. Her eyes trailed up to see a very toned stomach and mounds- wait… _breasts_? Rachel quickly looked up at the Beast's face, embarrassed. So… it _was _woman, whatever _it_ was.

Rachel just hoped she wasn't blushing, because this was _not_ the time for that.

The Beast's face was similar to a lion, and it's two, bottom, sharp teeth could be seen, even with the Beast's mouth closed. It's mane, a light blonde, compared to the darker blonde of the rest of the Beast's body, was unkempt, and long, with ears peeking through it, and… horns? Yes, curved horns jutted out of the fur, along with the small, floppy ears, and Rachel just stared up in amazement. Oddly enough, not much fear, just astonishment.

And even stranger, was the fact that Rachel hadn't gasped at all when she let the full image of the Beast sink in, but when she ran her eyes over the Beast's form, once more, and landed on hazel-green eyes, she almost whimpered. They looked pained; sad, even, and Rachel suddenly felt like she was staring at a small, lost puppy, rather than a terrifying monster.

The Beast shifted, uncomfortably, under the smaller girl's gaze, and stepped back, almost frightened, when Rachel stood up and took a step towards her.

"You have my word." Rachel said, quietly.

"Done!" The Beast said, before Rachel even finished her sentence, and glided past her, to unlock the cell doors. Rachel's legs gave out, finally realizing what she'd condemned herself to. She put her face in her hands, hunched over, in defeat. She felt her fathers' embrace, shortly after, and just as quickly, they were ripped from her.

She pulled her face out of her hands to watch the Beast drag her fathers by their collars. She stumbled up to hurriedly follow them down the spiral staircase and out the castle.

"Please, we- we beg of you, spare her, please." Hiram said, as he was stuffed into a waiting carriage at the front of the castle. Rachel noticed there were no horses attached to it.

Leroy tried to fight, arms flailing, but was also just thrown into the back seat.

"She is no longer your concern." The Beast said, and shut the carriage door. "You will tell no one of what you saw here, and if you do, _she _will suffer. Take them to the village."

Rachel watched from the castle doors as they sped away, Belle galloping behind the carriage, towards the town; a town she may very well never see again. That might have been what she wanted, at some point, but certainly not like this.

The Beast rushed back, but slowed to a stop when she saw Rachel, crying, very quietly in the doorway. Rachel felt the wolf brush against her legs, and glanced down to see it look up at her momentarily before it walked passed her. The wolf stopped right in front of the Beast, almost defiant in it's posture.

The wolf barked several times, and it was strangely high-pitched, like… a girl dog. Was the wolf a woman too? Was it a werewolf? Rachel felt like she was certifiably insane at this point. Not only was she actually considering the wolf to be some sort of werewolf, but chances are, with the current situation of carriages that move without horses and a giant woman-beast, she was probably _right._

The Beast simply looked from Rachel to the wolf before lowering itself on all fours.

"Follow me." The Beast said, quietly, passing Rachel, almost silently. The Beast didn't make half as much noise Rachel thought she would when she walked. There was a very odd grace about her, too.

Rachel sniffled, and just did as she was told. "I… I didn't even get to say goodbye…" She thought aloud.

"... I'll show you to your room."

"My room?" Rachel looked at the Beast. "I- I thought I was a prisoner."

The Beast snapped around. "You wanna stay in the tower?"

"N-no."

The Beast turned and resumed walking, calmly. "Then follow me."

Rachel heard the soft pitter-patter of the wolf following them, and turned her head just in time to see the wolf rush up beside her. The wolf barked again, looking straight at the Beast. The Beast tensed up a bit, muttering a "hmm", before speaking, quietly, again.

"I hope you, um, like it here." The Beast said.

Rachel noticed the Beast was strangely soft-spoken for such a large creature.

Rachel looked back down at the wolf, and the wolf barked again, as if it approved. Rachel couldn't help the feeling that they were _talking_ to each other, somehow.

"This castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like." The Beast continued. "Except for the West Wing."

"Well, what's in the west-"

The Beast stopped, and angrily spun around. "It's forbidden!"

Rachel was taken aback by the sudden outburst. The Beast's composure returned, as quick as it went, and she continued up the stairs. Rachel followed, quite reluctantly, wolf still at her side.

They reached her room, not long after, and the Beast swung the door open. Rachel stepped inside, silently surveying if there were any means of escape.

There weren't.

There were cobwebs in every corner of the room; floor and ceiling. The bed was slightly dusty, and oddly enough, there weren't any drawers or closets. Most bedrooms had storage of some kind, Rachel was sure, but there weren't any here.

"Now, if there's anything you need, my servants will attend to you."

Rachel had the fleeting urge to ask 'what servants', as she hadn't seen anybody in the castle, but suddenly found it hard to care. She was _stuck_. She was stuck here forever with this _thing _and a possible _werewolf_ in an old, moldy castle.

When she hoped that her life would turn into some great adventure, this was certainly _not_ what she had in mind. But of course, leave it to the universe to take her request completely out of context, like it _always_ did.

Nothing could ever work in her favor.

The wolf stood beside the beast, and barked again, waking Rachel from her thoughts. The Beast looked down at it, almost annoyed.

"Um, you- you will join me for dinner." The Beast said, looking in Rachel's direction, but not _at_ Rachel. "And that is not a request!" The Beast slammed the door shut, leaving Rachel on her own.

* * *

><p>Rachel stirred awake. She couldn't remember lying down on the bed, and she certainly couldn't remember falling asleep. She hoped that it was all just a very elaborately terrifying dream her brain had constructed, and that she would wake up in her bed, to the smell of her fathers' cooking breakfast, and she would be able to write a book about it and become an established young author, but no. No, it wasn't a dream. Here she most definitely was, in a strange castle she was doomed to spend the rest of her days.<p>

Her cheeks were wet, and she could only guess she had fallen asleep crying. She sat up, slightly, and suddenly the curtains in her room were thrown open, letting the orange of the setting sun seep in.

She turned to the window and saw a tall blonde woman, smiling, warmly, with twinkling blue eyes.

"Hi." She said, sweetly. "I'm Brittany."

Rachel studied her, momentarily, before nodding, slowly. "I'm… Rachel."

"That's a pretty name." She said, head cocked to the side. "What's your last name?"

"Berry."

"Really? Like a 'berry'?" She said, excitedly. "How cute!"

Brittany walked over to the bed, and plopped herself down on it. "Have you met any of the furniture yet?"

"Have I… _met_ the furniture?" Rachel repeated, not sure if she heard right.

"Yeah. They're all really nice, and they already like you." Brittany said looking around the room. "There used to be a wardrobe in here… I forget her name. She never liked this room, said it smelled funny, and it kinda does," She giggled. "Maybe she moved downstairs… she has a crush on this lampshade, and he's downstairs so maybe she's tryna' put the moves on him…"

Rachel just listened to the girl ramble. She was speaking utter nonsense… or was she? After all, Rachel had just promised to live with a _beast_ in a _castle_ for the _rest_ of her _life_. Rachel couldn't stop thinking that thought. It sounded utterly ridiculous, and she was still in denial about it being true.

But that considered, anything could be possible at this point. Including a love story between a wardrobe and a lampshade.

"We all think you're really brave for doing what you did." Brittany spoke, softly.

"I've lost everything…" Rachel said, hopelessly. "My dreams, my family… my friends..."

"Brittany!" another girl rushed into the room, startling them both. She was shorter, and had dark hair and tanned skin. Unlike the taller girl, whose blonde hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail, this girl's raven hair was loose, almost wild, flowing freely down the sides of her face. "I told you, you can't come in here!"

"Oh, I know, San, but I knew Rachel would be lonely and hungry, and I felt bad." Brittany pouted. "Look, she's been crying all morning."

"If Q-" The smaller girl stopped herself, looking in Rachel's direction. "If _you-know-who_ finds out, she'll be pissed. And I am _not _in the mood to argue with her today."

"She won't find out, Santana, I promise." Brittany said. "Scout's honor."

"You're not a scout, Brittany."

"You have to be a scout to say that?" Brittany whispered, like it was a secret. "Bummer."

Santana looked back to Rachel, who honestly had no clue what was happening.

"Get up." Santana ordered. "It's dinner time."

Brittany clapped happily, and jumped up from the bed. "Ooh! Let me find you a nice dress. She'll like it if you wear a nice dress… where do they keep the dresses again?" Brittany asked no one but herself, as she exited the bedroom.

Rachel could only guess the 'she' Brittany was referring to was the Beast. Rachel wondered, faintly, if the Beast had a name, but realized she didn't really care at the moment. She honestly couldn't have doomed herself to this life. It was absurd!

No, no, Rachel had a plan.

She was going to convince the Beast to let her go. It was the only way. She wouldn't stay here- she _couldn't_ stay here! She was Rachel Berry! She was supposed to be famous, in some capacity or another. Preferably on stage, but she was open to other possibilities, like writing, or something. She _did_ love books, after all.

Rachel stared over at Santana, as she waited. Something was oddly familiar about the girl…

"What?"

"Have we met before?"

"Sort of." Santana said. "Follow me. Britt will get you into something nice looking."

"I'm not…" Rachel tried. She cleared her throat. "I'm not going." She said, forcefully.

"The hell you aren't." Santana said. "She asked you to dinner."

"No, she _demanded_ me to come to dinner. Hardly the same thing."

"Oh, okay, last time I checked you really didn't have a say in the matter? You're a prisoner, remember?"

"I'm not going and that's that."

"Oh great." Santana threw her arms in the air. "You're all _independent_… and you probably _read_, too, don't you?"

"I do." Rachel nodded, curtly. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ugh, I was stupid for thinking this was going to be easy."

* * *

><p>"Brittany!" The Beast called out, as the blonde girl passed. "Have you seen- what are you doing with that dress?"<p>

"Shh! It's a surpise!" Brittany smiled. "Aren't you going to get dressed up?"

"I…" The Beast looked down at herself. "Am I supposed to?"

"Well, it's only courteous to dress to impress, m'lady."

"I… don't… wear clothes." The Beast said, innocently. "None of them fit me…"

"Maybe we can find you something downstairs in the tailor's room."

"Maybe…" The Beast said, thoughtfully. Brittany nodded, and turned to continue on her way. "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Have you seen, um, the _girl_?"

"Her name is Rachel Berry, and yes." Brittany said, excitedly. "She's nice, I like her."

"Rachel Berry…" The Beast repeated. She seemed to be lost in thought, before her eyes snapped back down at Brittany. "She's late."

"Let's find you something to wear." Brittany said, walking away, prompting the Beast to follow. "Don't worry so much, mmkay? Give her some time. She was just taking a nap, but she's all rested up now. She'll be down soon, I'm sure."

* * *

><p>"I'm not going down there." Rachel crossed her arms against her chest, and looked toward the window.<p>

"You _have_ to." Santana said. "She invited you. You just don't _turn_ down an invitation from the owner of the place where you're gonna _spend the rest of your life_."

"Well, I am, and I did."

"Don't be stubborn, okay? Just make this easy for the both of us and go down there."

"No."

"I'm serious. You need to go."

"No."

"Get your ass down there."

"How rude." Rachel said, shocked. "Does anyone in this castle have manners?"

"Okay, maybe I'm not being clear enough here; if you don't go, she'll be angry. Do you really want her to be angry? You _have _seen her right? Does she look like the kind of person you want to make angry?"

"I don't care. I said no."

"Okay, look, you two probably... have stuff in common, or something. You said you read, right? She reads. You guys can talk about books. It'll be lovely, and you two will bond, and everyone will be happy and I won't have to deal with a stubborn little girl, and a very, very angry hostess. Now, get down there."

"Who are you calling _little_? I'm not much shorter than you."

"Alright, you want friggin' manners? Fine. Can you _please_ go down there?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"_Are you serious right now?"_

* * *

><p>The Beast had one eye closed, and her face was scrunched up, as Brittany placed yet another hat on her head. This one was pink, with a black ribbon around it.<p>

"Aww. Perfect." Brittany squealed. "You're like a little bunny... with a hat on."

The Beast didn't look too convinced.

"Now, remember, be charming, and… sincere. And don't get angry, okay?" Brittany removed that hat, and placed smaller, green one on her. "Be gentle. Ooh, and smile. You have a nice smile, right?"

Santana slammed open the double doors, storming angrily into the room.

The Beast stood up, nervously. "Is she ready, yet?"

Santana looked at Brittany, for some support, then up at the Beast. "She… she's not coming." Santana said, bracing herself. "She doesn't want to have dinner with you."

The Beast ripped the hat off her head, throwing it to the side, as she got on all fours and raced through the castle. Santana and Brittany ran to catch up, but the Beast was so infuriated, she skipped steps entirely and climbed up on rails to get to the room quicker.

"Be gentle! Be gentle!" Brittany called out.

The Beast nearly slammed into Rachel's bedroom door, which was now locked.

"I thought I told you to come to dinner!" The Beast yelled. "And who said you could lock the door?"

"I'm not hungry." Rachel said, from behind the door, sounding just like a child that didn't get her way. "And I wanted some privacy! What if I'm naked right now? Would you have wanted to just _barge _in?"

The Beast blinked, rapidly, seemingly caught off guard, but shook it off. "You'll come out or- or… or I'll break this door down!"

"Does gentle mean something else? Am I using the wrong word, San?" Brittany asked, confused.

Santana shook her head. "Look, Q," She reached up and put her hand on the beast's shoulder to get her attention. "You have to be calm. You don't want to scare her, right?"

The Beast swallowed, thickly, and straightened herself out.

"Be ladylike." Brittany said. "Graceful, y'know?"

"But she's being so difficult!" The Beast whispered through gritted teeth.

"Calm." Santana repeated.

"Ladylike." Brittany nodded.

The Beast took a deep, frustrated sigh. "Will you come down to dinner?'

"No!"

The Beast shot an exasperated look towards the smaller girls, who only shrugged. She sighed, and closed her eyes to regain her calm.

The Beast slightly bowed at the door, even though Rachel couldn't see. "It would give me great pleasure if you would join me for dinner."

"Say 'please'." Brittany nudged her.

"… please." The Beast added.

"No, thank you." Rachel responded with a 'hmph!'

The Beast shot up, furious. "You can't stay in there forever!"

"Yes, I can!"

"Fine!" The Beast growled. "Then you can go ahead and STARVE!" She turned to Brittany and Santana. "If she doesn't eat with me, than she doesn't eat at all!"

The two girls watched as the Beast rushed down the hall, into the west wing, slamming the door shut behind her, so forcefully, a piece of the ceiling collapsed nearby.

Santana's shoulders slumped, and she looked over at Brittany who was nodding, approvingly.

"That went well." Brittany said, optimistically. "I give it a B+ for effort."


End file.
